Many people have fond memories from their youth of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. For a lot of families, it was a matter of economics. Both peanut butter and jelly were relatively inexpensive compared to luncheon meat, making the sandwich combo a great alternative for snacks or school lunches. That’s the way it was at our house, although we were occasionally treated with …
Where are the best peaches grown? That’s a question that isn’t easily answered. People from Georgia will insist their state produces the best peaches. After all, that’s the home of Major League Baseball Hall of Famer, Ty Cobb, aka the Georgia Peach. Still others might say California, South Carolina, Washington or Texas. My money is on those raised in Colorado, on the western …
Pork chops are one of those foods that appeal to cooks for a number of reasons, Besides being quite tasty and easy to prepare, they are very versatile. Pork chops can prepared in a number of ways, including baked, fried, grilled and breaded. They also are very budget-friendly. Like chicken, pork is cheaper than beef. Typically, a pig is ready for butcher after eight to nine months, …
Beef Stroganoff has become an extremely popular dish ever since it originated in 19th century Russia. In fact, there are probably as many variations of the dish as there are cultures in the world. For example, in Brazil, host of the 2016 Summer Olympics, it is known as estrogonofe, and chicken or shrimp sometimesis substituted for beef. The Swedes make a variation — korv-stroganoff — that …
Many people will tell you that dill pickle recipes are a dime a dozen. Just ask anyone who’s purchased a quart of pickles — sometimes at a cost of up to $10 a jar — at a bazaar or food festival, only to discover they’re no better than the ones they can buy at the supermarkets. I’ve canned my share of dill pickles over the years, using …
I love old school technique in cookery. We as humans have come a long way from fire. Imagine the lessons learned along the way. Those lessons that later have become techniques — or rules — in cookery. Why are the rules of a proper sauté important to follow? Hot pan, little oil/fat, ingredients cut very fine for fast finishing. You simply cannot …
There aren’t many vegetables that get a bad rap. But zucchini is one of them that does. I once read somewhere that zucchini is the Rodney Dangerfield of vegetables. It doesn’t get any respect. One of the reasons given by people who don’t like zucchini is just that, it keeps on giving. Usually it’s gardeners who let their zucchini get out …
“Wouldn’t today be a great day for soup?” That isn’t what you’d expect to hear most cooks asking in the middle of July in the Upper Midwest. But those were my exact words to myself Wednesday, and I bet that’s exactly what a lot of other people have been querying the past couple of days with the cool, wet weather we’ve been experiencing. The …
Just about everyone has heard or read about the health benefits of green, leafy vegetables such as kale. It’s true, there is plenty of evidence that eating kale, which has high levels of folate and more calcium — gram for gram, than milk — is beneficial to your health. But kale isn’t the only healthy green around. Another that should …
The idea of throwing together a pot of hot soup during the summer months may not appeal to everyone. But anyone who’s undertaken such a venture knows that the rewards greatly outweigh the prospects of a heating up the kitchen when outside temperatures typically reach the 80s and 90s. That’s because there’s hardly any winter soup that can hold a candle to …
It seems people who love rhubarb just can’t get enough recipes that feature the pie plant. That’s especially so if you grew up eating tasty rhubarb desserts straight out of your mother’s oven. I was reminded of that today by Becky Leguee Siani, whose older brother, Rory, was a good childhood friend of mine, and her sister, Eileen, a grade school classmate, …
Sometimes people can get into a cooking rut. You can bet that even well-known chefs get frustrated by the challenge to consistently create restaurant-yummy meals at home. Perhaps the best way to break out of a dinner slump is by making small changes to proven meals. I did just that last night. One of our go-to meals when our grandson comes for supper …
It’s the beginning of June, and to a lot of people in the Northland, that means it’s the beginning of lake season. But for the folks at University Lutheran Church in Grand Forks, it’s time for rhubarb. More specifically, the church’s annual Rhubarb Festival. The church, located at 2122 University Ave., will be a beehive of activity from 10 a.m. …
People who love hotdish or casserole usually have a preference if given a choice between rice and pasta. But there others like me who relish the taste of both. When it comes to the former, a combination of long grain and wild rice — Uncle Ben’s and Rice A Roni are two examples — is my favorite. However, when I have a recipe …
Planning weeknight meals can be quite a chore, especially when parents have put in a full day at work. And with school nearly out and summer upon us and the kids constantly on the go with sporting and other events on their plates, it’s even more of a challenge. Oftentimes, it’s easier to stop and pick up a bag of burgers, a …
Those of you who are old enough to remember the mid-1960s TV show “The Addams Family ” — or the 1991 movie by the same name — might recall one of Gomez’s favorite lines: “Oh, Tish, I love it when you speak French.” The John Astin character (Raúl Juliá in the film) then proceeded to kiss the arm of Morticia — Carolyn …
If you’ve ever had a halibut meal in a restaurant or bought fillets in a supermarket, you probably remember it. That’s because halibut not only is tasty, it’s also pricey. In grocery stores or fish markets, halibut can go for up to $24 to $30 a pound. Partaking in a restaurant can mean up to $40 a plate, even in Alaska, where the …
It’s still many months until home-grown apples will be ready for pies, crisps and the like, but that doesn’t mean you should overlook tasty recipes that feature the main ingredient of the aforementioned desserts. That’s what I did yesterday, pulling a 4- to 6-cup bag of cored, peeled and sliced apples out of the freezer to make a tasty 9-by-13-inch pan …
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to be able to make great soup. That’s what I’ve been telling my friends and acquaintances for years when they’ve inquired about why my homemade soups are so tasty. Actually, there is one thing that sets good soups apart from those that are just fair or mediocre: the stock. Of course, you can …
Are you tired of fixing that beef roast the same old way? I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with throwing a roast ― after it’s been browned ― in a Dutch oven with some potatoes, carrots and an onion for a couple of hours. That’s always a delightful meal. But if you’re up for a change of pace, a French dip is a …
Rhubarb is very likely the first vegetable — yes, it’s not a fruit — harvested in the spring by gardeners. It perhaps is also the most-awaited one by cooks who prefer making desserts above all else. Fresh rhubarb from the garden is still weeks away from being harvested, but that’s not stopping me from pleasuring my sweet tooth. That’s because I had …
I like hearty soups. They can be full of all kinds of vegetables ― and meat (or not), too. It doesn’t matter. Usually, no two soups of mine are alike, since I save all sorts of vegetable stock ― i.e. liquid from mashed potatoes or any vegetables that have been steamed, blanched, etc. ― as well as broth made from chicken, beef or wild game …
Ham and cheese is one of those classic food combos that never gets old. Just like bacon and eggs, hamburgers and fries, peanut butter and jelly and pretzels and beer, this dynamic duo is an American favorite. Always has been, always will be. Perhaps the simplest and most common of way is to combine the pair for the sandwich ― grilled …
Dealing with leftovers sometimes can be a problem. Especially if you have picky eaters who don’t have an appetite for an entree the second or third time around. That’s not the case with food such as spaghetti, which is often better after it’s sat for a day or two. Whenever I make a pot of that Italian favorite, we usually …
Pasta and broccoli is a winning combination. And no matter what you complement those two with, the outcome is sure to be a palate pleaser. I have several favorite recipes that feature broccoli and pasta. One is Broccoli with Rigatoni, which comes from a cookbook by the late Dom DeLuise, “Eat This … It’ll Make You Feel Better!” DeLuise describes broccoli and rigatoni …
What would you call a dish that’s a cross between a casserole and lasagna, two of the ultimate comfort foods? That’s a tough one, for which I haven’t come up with an answer. But there are three things that I do know: Some of these concoctions can be very nutritious, mighty tasty and pretty easy to make. The last quality is important for working parents who have …
Older cooks will remember when stainless steel and nonstick skillets became the rage the 1950s and ’60s, taking the drudgery out of preparing meals. In fact, many people tossed aside their beloved cast iron that had been around for ages. But these days, the former kitchen staple once again finds itself in vogue in kitchens around the country. And it’s for good reason. Cast iron is the perfect …
Anyone who’s grown up in Minnesota or North Dakota doesn’t need to be told about the role of hotdish in Midwest culture. Not only are they easy to make, hotdishes also are the perfect fare for events such as family reunions, funerals, church suppers and potlucks. A good example of how popular and diverse they are is the annual hotdish-making competition hosted by Sen. Al …
American Heart Month and Lent happen to coincide this year, and that’s good news for people who love fish. Fatty fish such as salmon, halibut, mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines and albacore tuna are high in omega-3 fatty acids as is shrimp, which make them all good candidates for heart healthy foods as well as fodder for those meatless Fridays that many …
A highlight of the Super Bowl for a lot of people is a party where the food lineup is more important than the much-ballyhooed commercials, halftime show or the players who are taking the field. But people don’t need to leave the friendly confines of their own homes to enjoy food that rivals buffalo wings, pizza and chips and dips. Therese and I stayed at …
Spaghetti and meatballs. That’s a combination that a lot of people find very appealing. After all, what’s not to like about one of the all-time, ultimate comfort foods? But spaghetti isn’t the only form of pasta that is a suitable companion for meatballs. In fact, if I had my druthers, there are oodles of other noodles that can stand up to spaghetti. …
Anyone looking to save some serious money when shopping for chicken would be well-advised to buy whole instead of cut-up. That’s because the cost difference is somewhere in the neighborhood of $3 to $5 a pound. But there is also another good reason to buy your chickens whole. When cutting up an entire bird, you have a neck and backbone available that can …
Just about every time you turn on a TV set these days, it isn’t very long before an advertisement pops up for some diet program or plan that promises weigh loss and touts certain types of food ― for a hefty price. I don’t often pay much attention to them. That’s because long ago I came to the conclusion that any advice given …
It’s hard to convince some people who grew up with eating walleye that there are other species that come close to rivaling it in taste and texture. Growing up in northern Minnesota, I was one of those walleye snobs. That’s until a hometown friend, Steve Geatz, first took me to Bad Medicine Lake in Becker County, which is known for its great rainbow …
Nearly every day, you can read or view a story about health and nutrition. Just this week, the U.S. Agriculture and Health and Human Services Department issued new federal dietary guidelines that urge Americans to drastically cut back on sugar, and for the first time, have singled out teenage boys and men for eating too much meat, chicken and eggs. The guidelines, which are updated …
A good sauce can turn an otherwise mediocre dish into one of excellence. And in the case of an entree that already features mouth-watering ingredients, it’s a bonus. For example, take baby back pork ribs, in which the barbecue sauce can be the make-or-break difference. The same is true with entrees such as chicken Alfredo or eggs Benedict (Hollandaise sauce). The following …
Christmas Day dinner — with all its fixin’s — might be in rear-view mirror for another year, but that doesn’t mean the sampling of delicious holiday food is over, especially with New Year’s Eve and Day celebrations looming. And for those of you who did a lot of baking, that’s probably a good thing. If you are anything like my mom, you probably have a half-dozen to a dozen …
One-pot ― or one-pan ― meals are a boon to households where both parents work. And this time of the year, when a lot of time and energy goes into baking holiday goodies, even those who are retired can find them a nice time-saver. They take very little time to put together, cooking time is minimal, and one-pot meals require a lot less …
You generally can tell how often cookbooks are used by their appearance. If they look as if they could be put on the shelf for sale in a bookstore, chances are you won’t find too many good recipes in it. However, if they are falling apart and have tattered or sauce-marked pages, that’s a different story. They probably contain a gold mine of recipes. My cookbook collection falls into those two …
There’s no better reason to make a pot of soup than when you discover a new recipe that looks like a sure-fire winner. An even better one is when a winter storm is imminent. The newest recipe that I’ve added to my soup repertoire, Chicken, Bean and Spinach, comes from a Twitter contact, Coach Mindy (@mycoachmindy), who shares post after post of …
Overripe bananas can be a problem for some people. Once the skin turns brown, there are many who just toss them, since they don’t care to eat discolored bananas. I’m one of those who doesn’t mind eating an overripe banana. In fact, I kind of like them. But if push came to shove, I’d rather use them in banana bread. Timing can be …
“When the stars make you drool just like pasta fazool, that’s amore.” I heard this Dean Martin lyric a little differently one day while preparing for a day at work. I asked myself “What is this dish he croons over?” After a little research, I stumbled upon a few recipes. My first reaction was not one of positive impression. My …
Thanksgiving Day has come and gone. But don’t tell that to those who consider the leftovers from a big feast such as “Turkey Day” a mere extension of the holiday. Not only do you have plenty of meat, potatoes, stuffing and gravy in the refrigerator for a nice day-after meal or two, there is the traditional turkey soup. Making soup is what’s on my agenda today. I have a pot …
Side dishes are just as important as the main course when it comes to holiday celebrations such as Thanksgiving Day dinner. It’s always been that way in our family. From the time we used to go to my Grandma and Grandpa Menard’s in the 1950s and ’60s to our smaller get-togethers these days, side dishes have played a big role …